17O OWLS. 



ed ; toes, two in front and two behind; tarsus feathered; 

 mainly nocturnal in habit. Young, inactive when hatched 

 and covered with whitish dow,n. Flight, direct with rather 

 slow wing-beats. Eggs, white, 2 to 7. Food, small animals 

 and insects, and occasionally fishes. 



A. DISKED OWLS. Strigidae. 

 Light-colored owls with the facial disk perfect, which 



nest in caves or deserted buildings. 







a. Barn Owls, Strix. 



Wings, very long; tail, short; plumage very soft. Cries, 

 loud and shrieking. 



1. AMERICAN BARN x OWL, S. PKATINCOLA. 17.00; 

 pale yellowish-brown, lighter beneath, spotted everywhere 

 with darker brown; edge of facial disk and bands on wings 

 and tail also brownish, fig. 208. U. S., rare in the northern 

 portions. Breeds from the middle sections southward where 

 it is a resident. 



B. HORNED OWLS, Etc. Bubonidae. 



Owls of varying sizes, with the plumage not as soft as 

 in A, and the facial disk is never as perfect. 



a. Dusky Owls. Syrnium. 



Dark-colored, banded owls without ear tufts and with 

 plumage very full. 



1. BARRED OWL, S. NEBULOSUM. 20.00 ; banded with 

 dusky and white, transversely above and on upper breast, 

 longitudinally below this; iris, brown, bill, yellow, fig. 209. 

 Eastern U. S. from the Gulf States to Canada. Resident. 

 Open nests in trees, eggs, in Feb. and March. Cries, pro- 

 onged hoot's, " Woe -woe ^vu woo" followed by a series of 

 4 Wock ivock ivock ivo-o-o' 1 ' 1 . Common in unsettled sections. 

 1*. FLORIDA BARRED OWL, S. ]sr. ALLENI. Smaller 

 and darker than 1 with fewer feathers on toes. South At- 

 *an"lc and Gulf States. Very common. 



